With the TCS London Marathon taking place this Sunday on the 23rd April, we thought we’d rummage through our sporting collections and discover the history of this old 1930s running vest!
The vest is white cotton with forest green stripes, embellished with a red dragon embroidered badge. Its label advertises that it was from a local sports contractor, Geo. A.Tandy, whose West End Sports House, at 48 St. Helen’s Road, supplied Swansea Town AFC as well as the students of the University College. Now nearly 100 years old and worn in numerous races, the vest has become rather discoloured and stained!
The vest belonged to William Anthony Rees (a former Dynevor School student). In the 1930s, Rees was an undergraduate at the University College of Swansea and President of the University College’s Harriers Club. Here’s a photograph of him wearing the vest!
As Stan Addicott writes in his book ‘A Century of Sport‘ (Y Lolfa, 2022), Rees ‘was a staunch member and captain during the later years of the Thirties and a keen collector of the club’s results, match reports and photographs’ (p.29). Some of this material forms part of Rees’ personal collection, that has been added to the archive collections at Swansea University (Reference: UNI/SU/PC/7).
[UNI/SU/PC/7/4]
Interestingly, the collection includes his student handbooks of training undertaken throughout the year, and several official programmes of running event schedules listing the teams and the runners representing them, including:-
- Welsh Cross Country Association programmes, listing competing teams in the local area – Newport Harriers, Swansea University College Harriers, Port Talbot YMCA Harriers, Swansea Valley Harriers, Cwmbran Harriers, Roath (Cardiff) Harriers, Race AC, Cardiff Gas A.C (1937-1939)
- News of the World, annual Newport-Cardiff-Swansea Relay Race programmes (1937-1938)
- University College of Swansea annual Athletic Sports programmes (1938-1939)
- Inter-collegiate week programmes for university college, Swansea (1939-1940)
- Universities Athletic Union Cross-Country Championship program – Liverpool (1939)
By looking at a few of the times and records set by Rees during these competitions, it is possible to understand and appreciate the calibre of runner he was. For example on 4th March 1938, Rees competed at the Welsh Cross Country Association at Caerleon Racecourse, and completed 9 miles in 55 minutes and 20 seconds. Later that year, he competed in the Seventh Annual Mumbles Road Race, from Bracelet Bay to St Helen’s Ground (approx 5 miles) in 27 minutes and 15.4 seconds. He also went on to make a new record at the University College of Swansea, running 880 yards (half mile) in just 2 minutes and 8 seconds! Compare this to the World record holder, Sydney Wooderson, who, in 1938, ran the same distance in 1 minute and 49 seconds.
The William Anthony Rees collection is one of several fascinating collections of personal papers of former staff and students at Swansea University. You can also search our Catalogue for a more detailed list of these collections, or take a look at our guides to the University Collections and History of Sport.
Maybe the magic is in the running vest….
Be inspired – Wishing all the very best to London Marathon runners this weekend!
Sarah Thompson
Archives Assistant and running enthusiast!